ABCs of Political Economy

Harry Braverman, Monthly Review“Labor and Monopoly Capital is one of the most influential books of our time, and it deserves to be. This new edition will help a new generation of readers understand the forces that are now transforming work around the world.” —DAVID MONTGOMERY

Capitalism and Its Economics

Douglas DowdAddresses some of the most crucial questions of the current era. … Dowd brings formidable qualities to this challenging task. An impressive achievement.’ –Noam ChomskyA critical history of the relationship between economic thought and capitalism from 1750 to the present. The book examines the dynamic interaction of two processes: the historical realities of capitalism and the evolution of economic theory. … The book includes biographical sketches and brief analyses of the major proponents and critics of capitalism throughout history, including Adam Smith, Thomas Malthus, Jeremy Bentham, John Stuart Mill, Karl Marx, Thorstein Veblen, Rosa Luxemburg, John Maynard Keynes, Paul Samuelson, Milton Friedman, and Eric Hobsbawm.

The Theory of Capitalist Development

Fat and Mean

David Gordon, Free Press (1996)Brilliant left analysis of the wage squeeze, corporate bloat, and the real causes (top-down capitalist class warfare and not the “skills gap,” “globalization” or the dysfunctional culture and behavior of the poor) of American poverty and inequality, 1970s-1990s. Great book. Readable and sophisticated all at once.